


In That Shoreless Ocean

by videogamedoc87



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27533674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/videogamedoc87/pseuds/videogamedoc87
Summary: A fairytale from the Skyback family.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1
Collections: Salty Nein Fics





	In That Shoreless Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift to the group of people who have become some of my very best friends over the last few months. I am forever grateful we started this crazy campaign and that you've given me the chance to throw myself into something so new. I love you all.

“Ma, will you tell us the story again?” Brint asks, leaning against Maythe’s side.   
  
“Which one, my little star?”

“The one about Gereno!” the twins shout in unison.   
  
“The one about Gereno? I’m not sure I remember that one?” Maythe says with a teasing tone. 

“Maaaaa.” Brint whines. “The one about the very first Skyback!” 

“Ohhhh, _that_ one. Alright my little stars, listen closely.” 

_Once upon a time there was a very strong and kind tortle named Gereno who lived in a small village by the sea. He was a happy young tortle, spending his days playing with his siblings and the children in the village. Gereno was his parents favorite and his younger brother Thenius grew to resent him as they reached their teenage years. One day while they were playing in the waves Thenius smacked Gereno in the back of the head and shoved him out to sea._

“Oh no! I hope Gereno is going to be okay!” The twins cry out in unison, smirks on their faces as Brint laughs quietly. 

Maythe rolls her eyes with a fond grin, “Why don’t you listen to the story and find out hmm?” 

_Thenius ran home crying to his parents that something had dragged his poor brother Gereno out to sea and they searched for hours before giving up on Gereno, assuming he had already perished. But that wasn’t true, Gereno woke up in the middle of the ocean, panicking as he realized he could no longer see the beach. In fact he couldn’t see anything but the ocean around him, the stars reflected in the mostly calm surface. He called out for his brother, for his sisters and his parents, crying a little when there was no answer._

_“I’m all alone.” Gereno said with a quiet sniffle, pulling himself into his shell so he could float more easily._

_He fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams dark and scary as he floated alone in the ocean. He didn’t know how much time had passed as he slept during the day and tried to swim in the direction of home at night._

_“Hello? Is there anyone there?” A voice called out, startling Gereno from his sleep one day._

_Gereno poked his head out of his shell and gasped when he saw a mermaid swimming nearby, her tail caught in a fisherman’s net._

_“Hi.” Gereno said, suddenly shy as she turned a grateful look his way._

_“Oh hello there Mr. Tortle. Do you -- do you think you could help me get free? I would be willing to grant you a boon.” The mermaid said, smiling at Gereno._

_“You don’t need to offer me a boon for me to help you my lady.” Gereno a_

_“Aren’t you polite.” The mermaid said. “My name is Desintia and I am a princess among my people. It is my royal prerogative to offer a boon to someone who helps me. So I will give you this boon if you help free me.”_

_Gereno swam over to her and used his claws to cut the netting keeping her caught, making sure to shred the netting completely so no other creatures would be caught in it. Desintia swam around him in a circle, doing flips and twirls in and out of the water that left Gereno a little dizzy._

_“You’re a very good swimmer.” Gereno said, feeling his cheeks flush a darker green._

_“And you are a very kind tortle. What is your name?”_

_“I’m called Gereno. I’m from a small village on the Mimal Sea.”_

_“You are very far from home young Gereno. This is the Finnian Ocean. How long have you been out here?”_

_Gereno shrugged, “I’m not sure your Highness? My -- my brother knocked me over the head and I woke up in the ocean.” His voice broke a little as he tried not to cry._

_“You poor thing. For your service to the crown of Ran I shall help you return home. It will be a long journey but I will call some of my brethren to help us make it there safely.” Destinia said, laying a hand on Gereno’s shell._

_“Thank you, your Highness.” Gereno said, sniffling quietly._

_Destinia smiled at him before disappearing beneath the waves and leaving him alone again. Gereno despaired for a moment that she had left him, never to return but she resurfaced a few moments later with three more merfolk surrounding her._

_“These are my friends Brina, Herit and Jedson. They will make sure we get you home safely young Gereno.” Destinia said as they started to swim._

_It is a long journey home and Gereno has no idea how long he had floated out there alone but the merfolk were adept at catching fish for them to eat and they found small islands for Gereno to take a rest when he needed it._

_“I’m not quite cut out for full time ocean life.” Gereno said as he hauled himself out of the water onto the beach._

_He and Destinia spent much of the journey getting to know one another and Gereno knew he was in love with her by the end of the second day._

“Ewww!” The twins say, their face wrinkling in disgust. 

“Someday you’ll fall in love and you’ll understand.” Maythe says, a fond smile on her face as she looks across the small dwelling at Croft as he prepares fish for dinner. 

“Your mother is correct.” Croft says in a gruff voice. “One day you’ll understand.” 

“I think it sounds wonderful.” Brint pipes up in a soft voice. 

Maythe rubs his head, “You’re my little romantic. Now, do you want me to finish the story or not?” 

All three of the young tortles cheer happily and Maythe smiles at them before beginning to speak once more. 

_Gereno knew he couldn’t leave Destinia without confessing how he felt and as the beach by his village grew closer and closer he took a deep breath and swam over to her._

_“Your Highness, I wish to -- to confess something to you.” Gereno said, his voice soft and shy._

_“Of course Gereno. You can tell me anything.” Destinia said, laying a hand on his shell._

_“I love you.” Gereno said, the words blurred together in one breath and his eyes darting everywhere but Destinia’s face._

_There was a long silence before Destinia’s hand moved from his shell to his cheek, “Gereno, I -- I love you too but we cannot be together. My hand in marriage is promised to another.”_

_One of the other merfolk, Herit, spoke up, “Your Highness, perhaps -- perhaps we could tell your Father the King that there was an attack. Perhaps a whale came and you were lost.”_

_Jedson and Brina nod along with Herit’s idea and Gereno can’t help but stare._

_“I cannot ask you to abandon your life for me, your Highness.” He said to Destinia._

_“You are not asking me, I am offering. I know you said you wouldn’t want a full time life on the sea but I do not have legs to walk with you on land.”_

_“Perhaps -- perhaps I could become a sailor.”_

_“You would make a wonderful sailor. My brave Gereno. But, you will need a good name if you are to become famous on the seas.” Destinia said._

_“Famous?” Gereno asked, a confused look on his face._

_“Of course! You are wonderful and the world should know of your kindness.” Destinia said, a thoughtful look on her face. “I know. I shall give you a shell as shiny as a calm sea at night, with the stars reflecting off its surface.”_

_She reached out to touch his shell, her hands glowing brighter and brighter until he was forced to shut his eyes against the light. When the light vanished he blinked a few times, his eyes falling on Destinia’s smiling face._

_“How do I look?” Gereno asked, suddenly nervous again._

_Destinia waved her hands once more and a shimmering image appeared in front of him. Gereno gasped when he saw his shell, shiny as the calm sea at night, just as Destinia promised. There are brighter spots scattered across it, forming familiar constellations and Gereno laughed._

_“It’s beautiful.” He said as he reached out to stroke Destinia’s cheek._

“And then they lived happily ever after on the seas!” The twins crow loudly, standing up to cheer and jump and down. 

“Did they live happily ever after Ma?” Brint asks, gazing up at her from his spot at her knee. 

“Yes my little star, they lived very happily ever after, sailing across the seas and helping those in need.” Maythe says. 

She watches as the twins head outside, shouting and shoving each other playfully as they run around the small yard. Her eyes are then drawn to Brint, her quiet oldest child and she smiles as he offers to help Croft finish making dinner.   
  


“Someday, my son, someday you will find a love like Gereno and Destinia,” She whispers. 


End file.
